Report by Mr. de la Malène, submitted to the Committee on Environment, Public Health, and Consumer Protection, presented the Commission's proposal (COM (86) 0154 - C3-0425/96) for a unified market regulation in fruits and vegetables.

Allegations of Embezzlement by the European Far-Right Political Group - Report by Mr. de la Malène, submitted to the Committee on Environment, Public Health, and Consumer Protection, presented the Commission's proposal (COM (86) 0154 - C3-0425/96) for a unified market regulation in fruits and vegetables.

A new investigation has been launched into allegations of embezzlement involving far-right European parties, including Rassemblement National (RN) and its allies, including Alternative for Germany (AfD), and the misuse of European Parliament budgetary funds.

At the heart of the scandal is the now-defunct far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) parliamentary group, which included RN, AfD, and approximately 10 other far-right parties during the 2019-2024 European Parliament term. The group is accused of irregular spending practices resulting in at least €4.33 million being embezzled from the European Parliament's budget.

The misappropriated funds are believed to have benefited former radical activists close to Marine Le Pen and were awarded via lucrative contracts that bypassed proper procurement processes. The funds often flowed to organizations linked to far-right officials or causes.

The issue was brought to light through joint work by media outlets including Le Monde, German program Kontraste, Die Zeit, and Austria's Falter. The investigation highlights systemic abuse of public funds by these far-right groups at the European Parliament level.

Marine Le Pen has already been convicted in a related earlier case of embezzlement involving fake parliamentary assistant jobs, leading to a ban on her running for office. However, no new information about embezzlement involving Marine Le Pen or the RN faction was provided in this latest allegation.

The RN is now part of the Patriots for Europe faction, while the AfD is part of the Europe of Nations and Freedom faction. The European Far-Right faction, ID, is suspected of embezzlement from a budgetary pot meant for parliamentary service providers.

The audit found "numerous suspected illegal transactions" in the ID faction's accounts, totaling at least €4,333,635.78. The ID faction is suspected of ignoring the obligation to tender and paying friendly firms without seeking other offers.

One such instance involved a media agency from Fulda, owned by an AfD local politician, which received €64,000 without other offers being sought. The legal succession needs to be clarified as the ID faction disbanded in 2024 after AfD MEPs were excluded.

AfD MEP Christine Anderson, whose website was designed by the Fulda company, denied the allegations. The chairman of the budgetary control committee in the EU Parliament, Niclas Herbst (CDU), announced he would file a criminal complaint with the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

The unlawful spending could lead to "corrective measures." The report will be sent to the budgetary control committee in the EU Parliament. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.

1. The ongoing investigation into alleged embezzlement of European Parliament budgetary funds involves EC countries such as France (Rassemblement National) and Germany (Alternative for Germany), as well as other far-right parties, highlighting the misuse of funds within the European Parliament's employment policy.
2. The employing of former radical activists close to Marine Le Pen and misappropriation of funds totalling at least €4.33 million through lucrative contracts without proper procurement processes is a case of systemic crime-and-justice issues within the politics of the European Parliament.

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